Nvidia Promises Android 5.0 Update For Shield Tablet This Month

Android rollouts always have fans vying to see who gets a taste first; generally speaking, the Nexus faithful are rewarded for sticking to devices Google has committed to updating swiftly. Nvidia, which has begun making a fair number of Android devices beyond the scope of the smartphone category, has also been quick to offer its users a path to the next generation, and with Android 5.0 Lollipop, they’re promising an update before November is out for owners of its new Shield Tablet.

The Shield tablet is aimed at gamers, with a seriously powerful Tegra K1 processor and Kepler mobile GPU, but it’s also just one of the best Android tablets currently available, despite a bit of extra girth and weight to help it handle all the power it’s packing. The fact that it also runs a version of Android that’s pretty much unadorned by aftermarket OEM bloatware (Shield Hub and its gaming specific features are genuinely useful additions, after all) is a big selling point, and Nvidia committing to deliver an update within the first month of Android 5.0’s availability is another.

HTC has been lauded for committing to a 90-day delivery window for users of its most recently released devices, but if Nvidia keeps up this kind of update pace with future releases, it’ll be a sort of pseudo-Nexus option that users can count on for timely updates, but that also offers its own set of advantages.

At $299 for a 32GB version packing LTE, it’s definitely worth a look for those considering the new HTC Nexus 9, so long as you’re okay with a smaller display. The company doesn’t yet make a phone, but if it ever does go that route, you can bet we’ll be paying attention.